Thoughts – Splurges, Cheat Meals, and Rest

Today has been great. For the first time in many days I’ve had no cravings whatsoever. This is great news. Although I’ve been eating pretty much the same as I did over the summer, (during the Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Summer Transformation Challenge), I started getting really tired of counting calories and writing everything in my trusty food journal. I also started getting unmotivated and tired at the gym. So, that was a signal for me to take a little break.

What I probably should have done is taken the break right after the Challenge ended; a nice week-long break. But, of course, I just couldn’t do that. I had to keep going because I was afraid that I would lose momentum, and, God forbid (dare I even say it) gain any weight back.

So, now I find myself in over-trained mode trying to recuperate.

What I did was take the entire weekend off. I didn’t measure anything, not even my coffee creamer (like I usually do). I just ate normal foods and went to a Sports Bar on Saturday night. I ordered a salad with chicken, but I mostly ate the nachos – good one. Sunday I kicked back with a few snacks and a lot of football. Yesterday, Monday, I was so consumed with work that I only managed a walk around the block.

I have to learn to be okay with that.

My weight has gone up one pound since my final photos/final day of the Challenge. So, all in all, that’s pretty darn good. I think we really have a tendency to be way too hard on ourselves.

As many intelligent fitness gurus have said, it’s not the occasional splurge that makes you put on body fat, it’s the things that become daily habits.

Jim Katsoulis, a Hypnosis Expert, (The New Thin Me Weight Loss Blog) says that the reason we overeat so easily is that we are getting instant gratificatiton without the instant repercussions. That was such a brilliant analysis it took me a moment to grasp it. If I put on five pounds immediately as I was eating the bag of chocolate chip cookies, would I be as likely to eat them?! I don’t think so! The fact that it takes several days for the damage to show up on our bodies is the problem. We are able to rationalize the extra food because it’s not painful RIGHT NOW.

Once I understood this concept, it made complete sense to me. I’ve really tried to factor it into my thinking when making food choices. Actually, I think the concept applies well in many areas of life. However, that little tidbit alone was a huge help in keeping me on track this summer and fully focused on my goals. I learned that a few cheat meals and a couple of days off from the gym are not going to derail me.